IND vs AUS 2022: “I don’t know whether there is some religious ritual going on” - Ajay Jadeja baffled over Indian players being sent to NCA 

Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja has expressed surprise over the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision to send some players to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore, asking them to skip international matches.

While announcing the squads for the home T20I series against Australia and South Africa earlier this month, BCCI’s official release included a note which stated that Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be reporting to the NCA for conditioning-related work during the course of the home series against Australia and South Africa.

As per the above arrangement, Arshdeep is not part of the ongoing series against Australia, while Hardik and Bhuvneshwar won’t feature in the T20Is against the Proteas. Baffled by the decision, Jadeja told Cricbuzz:

“If the guys are being sent to Bangalore, I don’t know whether there is some religious ritual going on or some other kind of ritual, because otherwise it just doesn’t make sense. The best equipment, the best people, the best technology should be with the Indian team.

“This is not like a car garage that you’d send somebody to the garage just because you can’t afford a garage in the middle of the city and you need more space. It has been baffling and it is unbelievable what has gone on in the last few months or so.”

India have missed Arshdeep's services in the series against Australia as Harshal Patel has proved to be extremely expensive on comeback from injury.

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“Like a corporate world where the boss never takes a decision” - Ajay Jadeja on Team India’s functioning

Describing the move to send players to the NCA as unnecessary, Jadeja questioned who takes the critical calls with regard to players’ fitness in Indian cricket. Seeking an explanation, he stated:

“If they (players) are with you rather than being in another city, I’m just trying to put a situation together - you are in an important game. Forget the World Cup, any game. You’ve got to make a call if X should play or not play. Who’s the person who’s going to take that call? One, it has to be the player, the way I see it, since nobody knows his body or his fitness better.

Jadeja concluded by saying:

"Okay, we don’t trust the player, so we have systems in place - the physio or the trainer, who’s going to check how fit he is? Is it easier to do it here or have a third person make a call? It’s almost become like a corporate world where the boss never takes a decision. He always gives juniors (the work).”

Meanwhile, India beat Australia by six wickets in the second T20I in Nagpur on Friday, September 23, to level the three-match series at 1-1.